Thread by @AgikuyuWomen

Cege wa Kìbirū one of great supernatural Ūgo (wisdom)

The place of prophecy in the history and Religion of the Agìkūyū cannot be under rated. Across cultures, there are certain people that are supernaturally endowed with special kind of Ūgo (wisdom) that enables

them be specialists in different fields. This Ūgo, was and is (hopefully) to be used for the well being of individuals, families, and the community. Never for self gain or glorification
Among the Agìkūyū, one category of such people endowed with special kind of Ūgo,

were the prophets. This is where our story of Cege wa Kìbirū also known as Mūgo wa Kìbirū lies.The name Mūgo is a professional name for medicine men, diviners and seers. Mūgo wa Kìbirū was in the real and honest sense, Doctor Cege wa Kìbirū.

His story
According to Mūgia in his book Ūrathi wa Cege wa Kìbirū, pp 3, he explains that Cege's biological parents are not known. He was found alone sitting at the foot of a tree in the forest by Kìbirū, who was a hunter and a trapper of game.

He, was a boy of about 10years of age. When he was asked with whom he was in the forest, he replied with Ngai. He was eventually adopted according to Gìkūyū rituals and became legally the son of Kìbirū. Even as a boy in Kìbirū's home, he continued disappearing many times

into the forest where he would spend time communicating with Ngai. It is from his extraordinary powers of divination and as a seer that people called him Mūgo wa Kìbirū.

He proclaimed his predictions in the villages of Gatūra, Kariara, and Ngabuiya on the fringes of the Nyandarūa North West of Thìka district between the years 1869-1880. In Facing Mount Kenya ( 1938) Kenyatta narrates this dramatic occasion as witnessed by other elders and family

One early morning the prophet woke up trembling and unable to speak , his body was covered with bruises... horror striken, the family summoned the ceremonial elders to his side

...when they arrived a male goat (Thenge) was immediately slaughtered and Mūgo wa Kìbirū was seated on the raw skin....at the same time, the ceremonial elders recited ritual songs as supplication to Ngai. Soon Mūgo wa Kìbirū regained his power of speech.

With his usual prophetic voice he began to narrate what he had experienced during the previous night. He told the elders that during his sleep, Ngai had taken him to a land unknown. There Ngai revealed to him what would happen to the Gìkūyū people in the near future.

On hearing this he was horrified and in his endeavor to persuade Ngai to avert the best evil events coming to the Gìkūyū, he was badly bruised and exhausted and could not do anything but to obey Ngai's command to come back and tell the people what would happen.

The prophesies..
✓ Strangers would come to Gìkūyūland from out of the big water, the colour of their bodies would resemble that of a small l, light colored frog ( Kìengere) which lives in water, their dress would resemble the wings of butterflies

and these strangers would carry magical sticks which would produce fire. The strangers, he said would later bring and iron snake with as many legs as a Mūnyongoro ( centipede), that this iron snake would spit fires and would stretch

from the big water in the East to another big water in the west of the Gìkūyū country.
Further he said that a big famine would come and this would be the sign that the strangers with their iron snake were near at hand.

He went on to say that when this came to pass, the Gìkūyū, as week as their neighbors, would suffer greatly. That the nations would mingle with a merciless attitude towards each other and the result would seem as though they were eating one another.

He said that sons and daughters would abuse their parents in a way unknown hitherto by the Gìkūyū.
This prophesy meant the coming of the white men and women by ship ushering the way for colonialism and Missionary Christianity. The magical sticks were guns,

the iron snake was the railway. This one came to pass

More of his predictions:
✓ Cooked food will begin being sold in markets and highways all over the country
✓ There will be general breakdown of good conduct. Violence and criminal activities will prevail in

villages and on road sides.
✓ The Rock - boulders down the river ravines will be moved to high ground and dwelling caves will be found on high ground.
✓ Children will be defiant and will refuse to obey their parents. Children will wear goat- bells in their )

ears and when told not to go West they will go.
✓ A generation will be born who will not beat initiation marks on their ears. They will have blank ears. This generation of blank ears will not listen to the customs and wisdom of the Gìkūyū

but will follow the teachings of the foreigners.
✓ The Agìkūyū will plant bananas and sugar cane on the shores of lake Naivasha.
✓ When the snake will change it's original position and move nearer to Ngong hills, soon after the spitting bush will swallow the butterflies and

take them back to the sea of salt. The country will regain it's lost glory.
✓ A large Thingira ( men's hut) will be built at Githunguri kìa Wairera . When that hut is built and completed, only then will the owners of the country once again

regain a say on the governing of their country. The fame of the country will be great far and wide.
✓ When the great fig tree at Thìka is uprooted of itself and falls down, then the owners of the country will regain their country.

Apart from prophesying, Cege also offered advice to the community as to how to handle the difficulties that would arise when the prophesies were fulfilled. The prophesies are quite a number.
Please read more from the book Ūrathi wa Cege wa Kìbirū see photo abov.

This translation and extract is obtained from Dr Peter Kiarie's book the Decline of Spiritual Authority in Gìkūyū traditional Religion (2016) Both books are available and can be purchased from us.